7-1-1 To promote a maximum level of active, interested and diverse
citizen and voter representation and participation in Town affairs,
Town officials shall make every effort to encourage citizen interaction
and information on current Town issues through the regular use of
the Town website, public service announcements and appropriate local
media. Provided, however, that nothing stated herein shall relieve
the Town from the meeting notification requirements of state law. [Amended 5-9-2022 ATM by Art. 63, approved 5-16-2023 Annual Town
Election, Question 20]
7-1-2 The Select Board shall annually, in the month of July,
call a public meeting in a public place. The purpose of the meeting
shall be to provide non-resident taxpayers, voters and other interested
persons an opportunity to discuss problems, policies, and progress.
The meeting shall be advertised on the Town website and as provided
in 7-1-1. [Amended 5-13-2019 ATM, Art. 59, approved 6-23-2020
Annual Town Election, Question 5; 5-9-2022 ATM by Art. 63, approved
5-16-2023 Annual Town Election, Question 20[1]]
7-1-3 The Select Board, the Town Manager, and Chairpersons of
multi-member bodies shall be available to make appropriate presentations
and to answer questions. [Amended 5-13-2019 ATM, Art. 59, approved
6-23-2020 Annual Town Election, Question 5]
[1]
Editor's Note: This article also repealed former 7-1-3, regarding
the purpose of the meeting, which immediately followed this section,
and redesignated former 7-1-4 as 7-1-3.
7-2-1 Prior to making appointments to multi-member bodies, the
Select Board shall advertise all vacancies and impending appointments
on the Town website and in at least three public places. Said advertising
shall enumerate the vacancies that are to be filled and include a
description of the duties, and shall solicit the names of persons
willing and able to serve. The advertisement shall also state the
location, time and date of the meeting, to be held no sooner than
seven days after the publication of the advertisement, at which the
Board anticipates that the appointments will be made. [Amended
5-13-2019 ATM, Art. 59, approved 6-23-2020 Annual Town Election, Question
5; 5-9-2022 ATM
by Art. 63, approved 5-16-2023 Annual Town Election,
Question 20]
7-2-2 Prior to making appointments to the Finance Committee
and to the Cape Cod Regional Technical High School Committee, the
Moderator shall cause a notice to be published on the Town website
and in at least three public places enumerating the vacancies that
are to be filled and the location, time and date when the Moderator
will be available to interview persons able and willing to serve. [Amended 5-9-2022 ATM by Art. 63, approved 5-16-2023 Annual Town
Election, Question 20]
7-3-1 Simplified rules of procedure for Town Meetings shall
be prepared and made available, as provided in clause 2-7-4.
7-4-1 The regular election for all Town offices shall be by
official ballot held on the third Tuesday in May.
7-5-1 All town elections shall be non-partisan in that election
ballots shall be printed without any party mark or designation, and
no candidate or candidate's committee for elective town offices shall
accept contributions - monetary or in-kind - from any political party
committee. [Amended 5-11-2015 ATM, Art. 56]
7-6-1 Any registered voter of the Town shall be eligible for
election to any elective office or multi-member body of the Town,
provided however that no person shall be a candidate for or hold,
concurrently, more than one paid elective office of the Town.[1]
7-7-1 Any holder of an elective office may be recalled by the
voters as herein provided.
7-7-2 One hundred registered voters of the Town may file with
the Town Clerk an affidavit containing the name of the officer sought
to be recalled and a statement of the grounds for recall. Once the
names that appear on the affidavit are certified by the Board of Registrars
of Voters, the Town Clerk shall thereupon deliver to the voter first
named on such affidavit a sufficient number of copies of petition
blanks demanding such recall. The blanks shall be issued by the Town
Clerk with the Town Clerk's signature and official seal attached thereto.
They shall be dated and addressed to the Select Board, and shall contain
the name of the person to whom they are issued, the number of petitions
so issued, the name of the person whose recall is sought, the grounds
for recall as stated in the affidavit, and shall demand the election
of a successor to such office. [Amended 5-13-2019 ATM, Art.
59, approved 6-23-2020 Annual Town Election, Question 5]
7-7-3 The recall petition shall bear the signatures and residential
addresses of at least fifteen percent of the registered voters. The
recall petition shall be returned to the Town Clerk within 20 working
days after the Town Clerk issues the petition. The petitions containing
the signatures requesting a recall election need not all be submitted
at the same time. A copy of the petition shall be maintained with
the records of the subject recall election.
7-7-4 The Town Clerk shall within one working day of receipt
submit the petition to the registrars of voters in the Town, and the
registrars shall within seven working days certify thereon the number
of signatures which are names of registered voters.
7-7-5 If the petition shall be found and certified by the Town
Clerk to be sufficient, the Town Clerk shall submit the same with
the Town Clerk's certificate to the Select Board. The Select Board
shall, within three working days, give written notice by registered
mail of the receipt of the certificate to the officer sought to be
recalled. If the officer does not resign within five days thereafter,
the Select Board shall order an election to be held on a date fixed
by them. The date of the election shall not be less than forty-five
nor more than sixty days after the date of the Town Clerk's certificate
that a sufficient petition has been filed; provided, however, that
if any other Town election is to occur within ninety days after the
date of the certificate, the Select Board shall postpone the holding
of the recall election to the date of such other election. [Amended
5-13-2019 ATM, Art. 59, approved 6-23-2020 Annual Town Election, Question
5]
7-7-6 Any officer sought to be removed may not be a candidate
for said office in the recall election. The nomination of candidates,
the publication of the Warrant for the recall election, and the conduct
of the same, shall all be in accordance with the provisions of General
Law relating to elections, and the election to replace the officer
sought to be removed shall be held on the same day as the recall election.
7-7-7 The incumbent shall continue to perform the duties of
office until the recall election. If not recalled the incumbent shall
continue in office for the remainder of the incumbent's unexpired
term. An incumbent having successfully survived a recall election
shall not again be subject to recall during the same term of office.
If recalled, the incumbent shall be deemed removed upon the certification
of the incumbent's successor who shall hold office during the unexpired
term. If the successor fails to be certified within five days after
receiving notification of the successor's election, the incumbent
shall thereupon be deemed removed and the office vacant.
7-7-8 The form of the question to be voted upon shall be substantially
as follows: "Shall [here insert the name and title of the elective
officer whose recall is sought] be recalled?" The action of the voters
to recall shall require a majority vote, but shall not be effective
unless the total of those voting for and against recall shall exceed
thirty percent of the registered voters of the Town.
